The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland

Nobody but a combat soldier can answer the question: "What was it like?" For those of us who have never experienced battle we can only try to imagine it. Mr. Burgett urges us to hunker down into his foxhole as the carnage of noman's land drops onto our laps like a screaming mortar shell. His unbelievable experiences make for a series of WWII memoirs unsurpassed in their vivid telling. I have read all four of his books-in chronological order-and I cannot imagine a more genuine and descriptive account of a trooper's brutal experiences in the European theater of WWII. I wish I could meet the man to shake his hand. His dedication and sense of honor and sacrifice make me proud to be an American, and very grateful indeed for having known of such combat men as Donald R. Burgett.

This book gives a very forthright account of one of the biggest debacles in WWII. Burgett moves on from Normandy down the road to Arnhem and continues to provide awing details of a paratrooper's life in WWII. What I like most about this book, as well as other Burgett books, he gives credit to all soldiers. At the end, this book highlights the courage of the British soldiers who were literally slaughtered by the Germans, but refused to surrender until ordered to do so (similar to the Screaming Eagles in Bastone).

Attempting to end run the Siegfried Line, Montgomery conceived an airborne drop in Holland to seize a 50 miles strip of Holland highway, including military positions, towns and bridges from Eindhoven to Arnhem. Within three days, the British XXX Corps was to roll to Arnhem and into Germany. The total length of the supply line was 100 miles long. The author, a member of the 506 of the 101st, describes the resulting engagements and failure through bitter eyes. In Burgett's opinion, under Montgomery's command, multiple blunders and poor planing, the 101st and the 82nd Divisions were all but decimated. In the British 1st Airborne Div. and the Polish 1st Brigade, of a total of 10, 005 men, less than 2,500 remained. They were destroyed as fighting units. In spite of the failure, men of the First Allied Airborne Army fought with extreme heroism and Burgett describes many of their individual acts with compelling realism. We owe Mr. Burgett much more than our thanks.

A very good book to expand on Operation Market Garden from the point where A Bridge Too Far ends with the withdrawal of the British Airborne from Arnhem. Burgett does an excellent job of detailing what the soliders, particularly the 101st, did in Holland after the Operation failed to accomplish its primary objective. Would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the campaign in Holland.

I rated this book with five stars only because that's the most I was allowed. But I feel that all of Burgett's literature deserves at least ten stars. He paints a picture that no movie director can capture. The horrors and atrocities of war can clearly be seen, as you look through the eyes of Burgett as he views the war. It is masterfully written and you will be unable to put it down as "Operation Market Garden" takes place, and will understand the legendary nickname "a bridge too far". The book is a great and complete story of how one man tries to survive the madness of a great but awful war.